Morris tribune., 1887-09-07
UNLOADING A BANANA VESSEL.
A Motley Lot OF Jabbering, Perspirinl
Dealers-Grades OF Fruit.

A Motley Lot OF JabberinG, PerspirtnB
Dealers-Grades OF Fruit.
Forty years ago scarcely bunch of
bananas came to New York by vessel.
Until ten years ago they were brought
here only in little briggs and schooners.
Now they come in great ocean steamers
only. The larger quantity is received be-
tween May and September, but through
out the year the arrival of banana laden
steamers will average four each week, or
say 200 per year. An average cargo Is
90, 900 punches, and the punches will each
average 300 separate pieces of fruit. But
here was the Amicitia, from Baracoa,
Cuba, and 200 sweltering, half mad Italian
and ''dago" Cuban fruit buyers. An en-
tire cargo is disposed of as rapidly as it
eomes out of the hold. In the old times
three to six days were required to unload
little schooner. Now great steamer
will discharge cargo of bananas in ten
hours. The consignee has notified every
dealer in the city, and they are nearly all
here, a motley lot whose jabbering, ours
ing and Precipitation are something ter
ribls indeed. They swarm over the
steamers deck and drive bargains as
though their very immortal souls de-
pended On the higslo hagglng over that
Gangs Of from eight to sixteen men are
required at each hatch, and these fellows
who work In the hold in the most fearful
stencil ever whitfield by human nose re-
ceive IS cents an hour. They are the
lowest species OF beings existing along the
docks. They possibly get two days work
a week. That Is enough. They live on
bananas, swil and garbage, sailor board
ing house rum, and lie along the burning
pavements of South and West streets in
sodden, open-mouthed stupor, with less
manners and brains than swine. Relays
are formed from the hold, and the punches
tossed thence, one at time, being caught
on their way out by each man with hands
fat, palms upward and bowed forearms,
which act as sort Of pillowing fer the
fruit.
The rapidity and safety of the move
ment of these punches are marvellous.
At each hatch on deck are d tallyman for
the vessel, and tallyman who is also a
''selecter" for the consignee. The latter
grades the punches as they come flying
from tho hold with incredible swiftness
and accuracy. A few feet below on the
docks are scores Of dealers wagons, and,
according to the grade, a constant stream
of punches flows into each. In these they
are carried to the ''sweat rooms' of the
wholesalers, where they are hung much
like curing tobacco, and kept at about ITO
degrees Of heat night and day for from
three to five days, when the punches,
which were originally livid green, are
ripened and transformed to the tempting
yellow clusters which lure US to the stalls
Of Lorenzo the Magnificent's descendants
upon the streets.
The grades are simply "firsts," "sec-
onds," "culls" and ''ripes." "Firsts'
are punches containing the most and
finest fruit. Seconds" are all other
prime condition, marked table punches.
"Culls' are the lowest grade fruit, and
''ripes" comprise the overripe and partly
decayed bananas. The ''culls" are piled on
deck in freckled, unsightly heaps, and
you will have to wade ankle deep in
Stripes" until they are sorted and corded,
two tiers lengthwise, in old orange boxes,
one-quarter of a cargo possibly being in
this condition. The price secured for
bananas by the vessel load is about $1.12
per bunch, and the retailer gets them at
$140. As the punches average 300 pieces
each, any one can estimate the profits in
the street banana trade.-Edgar L. Wake
man in Globe-Democrat.